Women
During the American Revolutionary War, women took on many roles and while some of these roles were traditional, other roles were unconventional and even scandalous for the time. The various jobs that women held ranged from nurses, cooks and maids to more direct roles such as secret soldiers and spies. Many nurses were wives, daughters and mothers of male soldiers who followed the army looking for food and protection because they were no longer able to support themselves after the men left for war. Some of the most common roles for women were cooks, maids, laundresses, water bearers and seamstresses. This was the first time women held these jobs in the military since these positions were usually reserved for male soldiers. Women were not allowed to join the military at the time, but many women dressed as men and served as secret soldiers or female spies.
- Women would dress as men in order to fight in the war
- A number of women received military pay and pensions after the war